Native to the eastern Indonesian islands known as the Moluccas or “Spice Islands,” cloves are the dried, unopened buds of a tropical evergreen. Our cloves come from Madagascar, now one of the world’s major producers. ... Continue Reading about Cloves – Spice of the Week
Star Anise – Spice of the Week
This pungent, sweet spice is actually the fruit of an evergreen tree in the Magnolia family. Although it is native to the south and southwest regions of China and North Vietnam, star anise is also grown in India, Japan and the Philippines. Our star anise is sourced from China. ... Continue Reading about Star Anise – Spice of the Week
Cinnamon – Spice of the Week
Cinnamon has a storied past and was present in many of the great civilizations. The Egyptians used cinnamon in the embalming process and it was traded widely in the Roman empire. According to Greek mythology, giant birds in the land of Dionysus (Greece, India, or lands to the east) used cinnamon sticks to build their nests. Arab traders would collect the sticks when they fell from the nests and ... Continue Reading about Cinnamon – Spice of the Week
Szechuan Peppercorns – Spice of the Week
Szechuan peppercorns are called by a variety of names, including Chinese pepper, aniseed pepper, Indonesian lemon pepper, Japanese pepper and Chinese prickly-ash, among others. In addition, there are many alternate spellings- Sichaun, Szechwan and Schezuan. ... Continue Reading about Szechuan Peppercorns – Spice of the Week
A Note About Tea
Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, second only to water. The origins of tea are somewhat muddled, however there is a popular legend which tells of the discovery of tea by the mythical Chinese emperor Shen Nung about 5,000 years ago. In order to encourage sanitation throughout China, the emperor ordered that all citizens boil their water before consumption. During a trip to a ... Continue Reading about A Note About Tea